This Is Life
by Tht1Person
Summary: "Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. Again," he said and pulled away. I nodded. "I love you," he said and studied my reaction. "I love you," I said.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Listen, I know this isn't that good but a good friend of mine thinks it is so don't hate on this. I'm writing it when I'm half asleep so give me some slack.**

**This is for you Kyle.**

PART 1

Chapter 1

Raiden and Liu Kang and Scorpion

I kept my eyes closed and wished the sound away. Wait. I sat up and saw blue and red flashing lights outside my window. "What the…" I muttered, still not awake yet. "Shit!" I exclaimed and jumped up, grabbing my bag in the process. I quickly grabbed clothes out of my closet and dresser and ran down the stairs. I turned the corner and ran right into my mother.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" she asked and grabbed my arm, her long fingers digging into my skin.

"Let go of me," I growled.

She slapped me. "You do not talk to me that way," she said.

I wrenched out of her grasp and grabbed my Mortal Kombat game and guitar. I could feel my cheek bruising where she had slapped me. "Shit," I muttered for the second time as I tripped over my feet on my way out the back door. I caught myself before I could fall and scrambled out into the street. Cops were at our neighbors' house, no doubt busting them for their meth lab, and at my house knocking on the door. It was always better to be safe than sorry in Detroit. I slipped into the alley across the street and stopped for a second.

There was no way I was going to some orphanage. Not now. Not tomorrow. My mother was talking to the cops, my older brother there with her. I felt my throat contract at the sight of him with her, probably backing up everything she said so he didn't have to go. I admired his strength and smarts, both something I didn't have. I turned and put up my hood, my eyes burning. I knew what I was leaving behind and what I was walking to and right now, what I was walking to was better. Or so I thought.

XXXX

I opened my eyes and sat up quickly but that only made my head spin more. I looked around. White walls surrounded me and I was lying on a white cot with crisp white sheets. I flung them to the side and went to stand.

"I wouldn't do that," someone said.

I didn't even bother to look at them, let alone listen to them. I stood and the world spun in circles. I felt myself falling and strong arms catching me.

"Damn it, girl," was the last thing I heard before blacking out again.

_XXXX_

_"__Where is she?" someone asked._

_"__Through these doors, but sir I'm afraid she is blacked out," someone else said._

_"__She is waking," the first person said._

I opened my eyes and found myself in a different room. The door opened and the one and only Raiden walked in. I couldn't help but sit in surprise but that only made everything spin in fast circles.

"Where are you from?" Raiden voice echoed through my head causing me to cringe.

"I doubt she remembers anything. She has-"someone next to him said. It took me a second to concentrate but I finally recognized him as Liu Kang from Mortal Kombat.

"Do you remember anything?" Raiden asked.

"Will you just give me a god damn second?" I asked my patience at a minimum.

"Do you have any clue as to who I am?" he asked.

"Yes. You are Raiden and he is Liu Kang and you're both from Mortal Kombat which means that I am hallucinating or passed out in some alley so will you please give me a second to figure out a couple things?" I asked.

"How does she know us?" Liu Kang asked.

Raiden straightened and visibly recuperated.

"Where are you from?" he asked again.

"I don't remember," I answered. He scared me and the fact that I had just talked back to him didn't put me on his good side.

"What do you remember?"

"Nothing," I said. That also scared me.

"Not even your name?" Liu Kang asked.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"The Lin Kuie Palace," Raiden said.

"How did I get to The Lin Kuie Palace?" I asked.

"Smoke said you had showed up outside the palace doors," Raiden said.

"S-Smoke?" I stuttered.

"Yes, Smoke. I thought you didn't remember anything?"

"I just remember Mortal Kombat," I said.

Raiden went silent for a couple minutes. Liu Kang left and the door made a solid thud behind him.

"How do you know of the tournament?" Raiden asked finally.

"I don't know," I said, "Can I please know what is going on? Or can someone please tell me how this is going to turn into a nightmare?"

"Why would it turn into a nightmare?" he asked.

"It is obviously a dream if you are in it but I never have any good dreams."

"It is not a dream. Now I need to know why you are here and how you know of us," he said calmly.

"I don't remember. All I know is Mortal Kombat and all of the characters," I said.

The door opened, hitting the wall behind it, and Scorpion stormed in.

"She cannot be here," he said.

My jaw dropped. Liu Kang followed not soon after.

"The elder gods wanted her here for some reason," Raiden said.

"Your elder gods don't exist. Now she needs to leave," Scorpion said.

"No," Raiden said and stepped away from the side of the bed.

"Your choice," Scorpion said and stepped to the right so he was directly across from Raiden.

"**GET OVER HERE!**" Scorpion yelled and speared Raiden. The spear bounced easily off Raiden as he blocked. I flinched at the sound on metal on metal and felt myself black out again.

_XXXX_

_"__Daire!" my brother yelled from the kitchen. I ignored him and quickly clicked the x button followed by left, right, followed by b, y, left in quick succession._

_"__Daire!" he yelled again and I heard his footsteps as he came down the hall. But my mom was quicker._

_"__Where is she?" she asked him. I pressed pause and silently stood._

_"__I don't know," he said but glanced at me over her shoulder._

_"__Liar," she said and slapped him._

_Her phone started going off, which just happened to be on the table next to me. She turned and upon seeing me, smiled slightly._

_"__Thought you could sneak off and let your brother take the punishment?" she asked and grabbed my forearm._

_I didn't answer knowing it wouldn't help my punishment. She slapped me and grabbed a nearby knife._

_"__Think it would help you any? Letting other people take the blame gets you nowhere in life," she said and pressed the knife onto my already scarred wrist._

_"__If you do it to yourself does it mean it is ok if I do it?" she asked._

_"__Mom," John said from behind her._

_She turned to him, "Shut it Jonny or you might be next."_

_"__I was just going to suggest something else," he said and looked at me with sorry written on his face._

_"__And what would that be, dear?" she asked._

_"__Beating her instead. You don't want to get charged with attempted murder if you were caught," he said. I winced as she seemed to ponder it._

_"__That is a good idea. Why don't you help," she commanded. He nodded solemnly and she let go of me. His fist connected with my jaw and I stumbled to the side._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Smoke

"What happened now?" Smoke asked.

"She blacked out for the third time. Raiden told me to tell you to watch her," Liu said.

"I have better things to do then watch a human," Smoke said.

"It is just until Sub-Zero can get here to train her," Liu said.

_What?_

"Fine, how long until he is here?"

"Tomorrow morning at the latest," Kang said.

"Okay."

There was the sound of a door closing and footsteps coming closer.

"I know you are awake, human," Smoke said.

"I know I am too. I just don't want the world to go spinning."

"Get up," he commanded.

"No," I said.

I heard him sigh and he said, "Do you want something to eat or not?"

I opened my eyes and found an entire table of food in the corner of the room. I sat up and scotched back at how close he was. He seemed annoyed and rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to get up and grab it yourself or do I have to do it for you?" he asked.

I stood and walked over to the table. "You know there is no reason for the attitude," I said as I put the bare minimum to get me through the day on my plate.

"You should learn not to use sarcasm," he said.

"Stating the truth is not sarcasm," I said.

"You are a weird human," he said.

"That is the nicest comment I have ever been told," I said and pretended to be super excited, "by an asshole," I added.

"The sarcasm is not needed."

"Stating the truth is not sarcasm."

I could feel him glaring at me. I smirked to myself slightly and sat down. We ate in silence and he called servants to clear the table.

"What time is it?" I asked eventually.

"Around time for you to get a watch," he said and smirked.

"Oldest joke in the book, if there was a book," I said.

"There is."

"And where might it be?"

"In my head."

"Do you know this one then? What is the hardest part to eat of a vegetable?"

He seemed to think about it. After several heart beats I finally said, "So you don't know this joke?"

"What is the answer?"

"I think I won't tell you," I said smiling.

He disappeared leaving only a few wisps of smoke. Reappearing behind me, he wrapped an arm around my neck and growled next to my ear, "What is the answer?"

I smirked and slid out of his grasp.

"Seems I have forgotten," I said which only made him madder.

"You don't think I won't kill you?" he asked.

"I think you are intimidating but no, I do not think you will kill me because you know Sub-Zero and Raiden want me alive," I said.

"They wouldn't miss you. You are only a nuisance in the back of their neck. Nothing more, nothing less. I doubt anyone would miss you if you were to blink out of existence right now," he said.

"You think I don't know this? I was told for years that I didn't matter. My mom has tried to kill me o many occasions and you think I don't know what it is like to be unwanted. Someone not wanting me around doesn't bother me for a second," I said.

"Your mother?" he asked.

"And brother. And father. And community. Why does it matter to you?" I asked.

"I thought you didn't remember anything?" he asked.

"I just had a flash back," I said.

There was silence.

I stood and opened the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked and followed me.

"To look around," I said and took a left. The ceiling reached way up, at least fifteen feet above my head and was decorated with elaborate carved designs.

"Where are you from?" he asked after a while.

"Still don't remember."

"What do you remember then?"

"I remember you and the rest of the participants in Mortal Kombat. I remember my mom about to add more scars to my already scarred wrist before having my brother beat me," I said.

"She had cut you before?" he asked.

"I had cut me before," I said and pulled my sweatshirt sleeve over my hands.

"You cut yourself?" he asked.

"It's called self-harm," I said.

"May I see?" he asked and stopped.

"No," I said.

"Why not?"

"Because you're like any other guy," I said and continued walking only to have him grab my wrist and pull my sleeve up to my elbow. I struggled against his grasp but with no prevail. He traced the bruises that I didn't know were there and found the scars, at least fifty of them ran up my wrist and I knew there was more on my other wrist, sides, legs, and ankles.

"Why would you do this to yourself?" he asked.

"Smoke!" Liu Kang yelled. Smoke dropped my wrist and I pulled my sleeve back over my hands.

"What are you doing out here with her?" Liu asked and ushered me back into the room.

"She wanted to get out of the room and look around," Smoke answered.

"She can't be out there," Liu said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"If anyone was to find out there was a girl here they would have their way with her and then sell her to the next person," Liu said.

"I can protect her," Smoke said.

"Once she was broke you would probably claim her next," Liu said.

**"****YOU THINK I WOULD RAPE HER?!"** Smoke yelled, now mad.

"Not until after the first guy broke her will so she wouldn't care," he said.

I flinched as Smokes fist connected with the side of Liu Kang's face. Liu stumbled and caught himself. He stood and returned the punch.

"Will you stop?" I asked.

They ignored me.

"**Stop!**" I yelled, surprising myself.

They stopped and looked at me.

"No one is going to rape me. No one is going to touch me. Now will you both stop?" I asked.

"I doubt you are strong enough to fend off a couple or even one guy if they wanted you bad enough," Smoke said.

"Let us test that theory," I said.

I punched him. My fist connected with his jaw and made him turn his head. He spit some blood out of his mouth and looked at me. He grabbed me by my waist and threw me on the bed. I rolled before he could get on top of me and moved out of his reach. His glare found me and he stood. He grabbed my wrist, right where the bruises were. He pulled me back to the bed and pinned my arms above my head. I struggled at first then stopped, thinking through everything. I pulled my arms to my chest or my body to my arms and kicked upward, hitting his stomach. He barely moved. I straightened my knees, locking them so he was a leg length away from me.

"Stop," someone new said powerfully.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Sub-Zero

Smoke froze and I took the chance to role from underneath him.

"What are you doing?" Sub-Zero asked.

"Smoke didn't believe she could fight him off," Liu said.

"And why didn't you stop this?" Sub-Zero asked.

"It was nice to see him be beaten by a girl, a _human _girl," he answered.

"I was hoping better of you, Liu Kang," he said, "and you Smoke. What did you think you would get out of this if you were able to get her in a vulnerable position?"

"That maybe she could realize that her attitude is going to get her nowhere," Smoke said, now standing.

"My mother has tried teaching me that lesson too," I said.

"I thought you didn't remember anything?" Liu asked.

"I'm starting to remember some things," I said.

"Like what?" Liu asked.

"My mother used to beat me," I said.

"Your mother?" Sub-Zero asked.

"Am I dismissed?" Smoke asked.

"Yes, thank you for watching her until I got here," Sub-Zero said.

Smoke bowed and walked out of the room.

"Now your mother?" Liu asked.

"Yes my mother. Why are you training me?" I asked Sub-Zero.

"Raiden has ordered it until we know why you were sent to the palace," Sub-Zero said.

"When does training start?" I asked.

"Tomorrow," he said.

"Do you know what time it is?" I asked.

"Almost 3 pm according to the Earth time system," Liu said.

"Is there anything to do other than sit around and do nothing?" I asked.

"You can start by learning not to use an attitude," Sub-Zero said.

"You should teach Smoke that too," I said.

"I could teach you a couple things," Liu said.

I turned to him, "Mental of course," he added.

"You are the most at peace fighter aren't you?" I said mainly to myself.

"He does have peace at mind and uses that against his opponents. You will train with him tonight. And Liu," he said, "No physical activities. Try to get her to remember a couple things."

"Yes sir," he said and bowed. Sub-Zero left and Liu sat in the middle of the room, gesturing for me to sit down.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Memories

"Do you remember your name yet?" he asked.

"It's Daire," I said and sat down like he was easily.

"Sit however you feel comfortable," he said.

I stood then slid into the splits, resting my elbows on the floor in front of me.

"Not the usual way someone would want to sit," he said.

"It's comfortable," I said.

"What else do you remember?"

"Nothing really. I never had a father there, as far as I know. My mother beat me and my brother sis nothing about it. I remember that we lived in a really poor area in a huge city that was once the greatest city of our state," I said.

"Clear your mind," he said.

"No thank you," I said.

He looked really surprised. "What?" he asked.

"No, thank you," I repeated.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I clear my mind and I have nightmares," I said.

"What are these nightmares about?"

"Usually someone else. Sometimes they are about me and then a couple weeks later they happen. I hate knowing what is going to happen for the fact that it is always bad in my case. In your case everything ends up great according to a dream. You live on and teach Sang Tsu how to keep calm and beat her brothers at Battle of the Elements-"

"Who?" he asked.

"Your daughter," I said and sighed knowing that I had did it again.

"I don't have a child," he said.

"These are just dreams," I said.

"Tell me more about your mother," he said.

"She is a bitch and whore," I said simply.

"You have no hesitance do you?" he asked.

"About what?" I asked.

"Saying anything."

"I believe in telling the naked truth," I said.

"So you don't lie?" he asked.

"When I do you know it," I said.

"Tell me a lie right now," he said.

"Ask me a question," I said.

"Do you think I am sexy?" he asked.

"Yes," was my answer.

"You don't think I am?"

"You are totally the sexiest guy I have ever seen. Everyone pales in comparison," I said and sat back.

"You can't lie," he said.

"What's next?" I asked.

XXXX

I sat down on the bed after eating nothing at dinner. Liu Kang had tried talking to me about my past and seeing what I could and couldn't remember for hours. I had found a pen and paper not soon after he had left and drew an elaborate dragon. I lied down on the bed with the pen and began drawing on my arms, covering them in black ink that was formed into different patterns and animals. After a while I fell asleep and the memories to over.

_XXXX_

_"__Where are you going?" Zada asked me._

_"__Detroit," I answered._

_"__That is not fair! We will never get to visit you," Alexis said._

_"__It sucks," I said._

_"__Daire," someone said behind me. I turned and found my brother, "Mom wants you."_

_I nodded knowing what was coming. I turned to my nine friends; it had grown over the past month, and gave them each a hug._

_"__Bye," I said._

XXXX

I woke up and looked out the window. Barely an hour had passed according to the moon. I sat down on the floor and waited. The sun made its way to the horizon and Liu Kang came to get me.

"You're already up," he said surprised.

"Yep," I said.

"Sub-Zero wants to train you now," he said.

"Show the way," I said and gestured to the door.

He led me through a series of halls. We passed guys who were all just staring at me, their eyes filled with lust. I followed Liu into a wide court yard where we found Sub-Zero. He nodded to Liu Kang who bowed before leaving.

"Run," was all he said to me. I sighed and began running.

_Just like a teacher, _was all I thought before running.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- What the...

A couple weeks later.

"Concentrate," Liu said.

"You don't think I am? I am trying my best ok?" I asked. My patience was slowly disappearing. Liu had been trying to get me to remember how I had got here ever since Sub-Zero had decided I had had enough training for our first session.

"Think back. How did you get here?"

"I don't remember!" I yelled and stood.

"Calm down."

"I'm trying my best."

"Deep breaths."

I took a deep breath and sat down again.

"Why are you angry?" he asked.

"It's confusing," I said.

"What is?"

"I can only remember some things," I said.

"Like?"

"You guys. I don't get why I can't remember where I lived or why my father left or why my mother beat me. I only can remember things but not reasons," I sighed.

"Did you have any hobbies?" he asked.

"Playing video games and guitar," I said without thinking.

"Guitar?"

"Electric guitar. Music," I said and stood.

"Maybe a certain type of music can jump start your memory," he said, "Think through everything and tell me tomorrow," he added and left.

I looked out the window and searched my brain. I thought through everything but hit a wall. I turned around and saw green wisps of smoke coming from under the door.

"What the…" I muttered and opened the door. I looked both ways and found no one. I stepped out and felt someone come up behind me. They put their hand over my mouth and nose and after a minute everything started turning black.


End file.
